Thursday, June 13, 2013
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The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) honored GateWay Community College outfielder Aaron Siple with the nationally-recognized American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings 2013 Gold Glove Award.
The left-handed outfielder is the first in GateWay Athletics history to win the notable award and is one of only nine recipients in the NJCAA Division II to receive the award.
“I was completely shocked,” Siple said, “That’s the best word I can use.”
The Gold Glove Award was originally only awarded to outstanding defensive players in the Major Leagues each year. However, for the Gold Glove Award’s 50th anniversary in 2007, it was extended to college and high school baseball players, according to a NJCAA press release.
Siple said he knew he was nominated, but never thought he would have won the award.
“I always wanted to be remembered for the things I did,” Siple said. “It was cool I was the first one (at GateWay) to win it.”
He ended the season with 125 putouts and four double plays with a .991 fielding percentage. He had 173 at-bats with 58 hits, including 41 runs and eight doubles.
GateWay’s head baseball Rob Shabansky said it’s a huge honor for Siple and for the athletics program to win this award.
“It just shows Siple’s defensive abilities and what he did in two years,” Shabansky said.
Siple has received an athletic scholarship from the University of New Mexico to play centerfield for the Lobos in Fall. He will be pursuing a degree in communications.